Twanglish Lesson: Otter, Awta & Orta

Today’s Twanglish Lesson sounds a bit like a children’s book title in the making. In fact, maybe there should be more children’s books written in Twanglish. Call it a cultural re-education of the homogenized masses, if you like.

But that’s beside the point.

The point is there are things one should do, and, if you’re a Real Southerner, there are things that you …

Otter –auxiliaryverb 1. Used to express duty or obligation 2. a recommended course of action:

I reckon you otter run up to the Walmarts and git me some more Busch.

Alternate spellings: Awta, Awt to, Orta, Ort to

We’re sure there are more variations on this oft-used Twanglish term. This RSM seems to recall about six different spellings/pronunciations showing up in a Facebook thread on the topic. But the point of them all is the same: we Southerners love to tell other people what they awta do. In fact, we’re always reckonin’ on the ort to’s of life. We’re just introspective that way.